Azerbaijan, Baku, 20 May / Trend A.Taghiyeva /
The U.S. MWH Global company which is modernising the Panama Canal has expressed a desire to build the Istanbul canal, Turkish newspaper The Lira said on Monday.
The Istanbul canal, construction of which was first announced by the Prime Minister of Turkey Recep Tayyip Erdogan in 2011, will connect the Sea of Marmara with the Black Sea.
According to the newspaper, the tender for the construction of the canal will be held in the coming months. MWH Global is working to create a primary plan for the Istanbul canal's construction.
"Construction of the Istanbul canal is a very important and at the same time a risky project. Our company intends to conduct engineering work within the project," a source at MWH Global said.
To this end, the company opened a representative office in Turkey last year, the newspaper said.
The design length of the canal is 45-50 km, depth - 25 metres and width - 145-150 metres.
The project aims to reduce the overload of the Bosphorus Strait. It is assumed that cargo ships mainly carrying fuel will pass through the new canal.
Earlier, the Ministry of Transport, Shipping and Communications of Turkey told Trend that following completion of all the geological and engineering work that will take at least two years, Turkey will start the construction part of the project and the tender will be announced for that section.
The minimum cost of the project will amount to $20 billion and completion is set for 2023.
Earlier, the Ministry told Trend that soil obtained as a result of laying the canal will be used in the construction of the two islands in the Sea of Marmara where the tourism facilities will be situated.